ASUI Senate election draws record turnout

ASUI Sen. Cruz Botello and running mate Rachael Miller will continue their presence on ASUI Senate, along with five other candidates elected Nov. 18.

The running mates took the first two spots in the election, with Botello receiving 542 votes and Miller receiving 470 votes.

Along with Botello and Miller, University of Idaho students elected Anne Zabala, Tanner Beymer, James Howard, McKenzie MacDonald and Laura Ehman to the ASUI Senate.

ASUI saw 1,062 students vote in the three-day election, an increase from the 741 who voted last fall.

“The turnout was promising,” said ASUI President Max Cowan. “We learned a lot about what we can do to get people to vote.”

Austin Karstetter, ASUI Communications Board chair, said he thinks the increased voter turnout was due to an easier email ballot system and the candidates” promises to work toward ASUI projects that affect students directly.

He said he thinks students better realize ASUI”s potential.

“It is really nice to see that students are finally seeing what their student government can do for them,” Karstetter said.